Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 65

Hi all, 

Here’s the next chapter. Lucas and the others battle the Rattata tide, and they have to deal with the repercussions of the aftermath.

Chapter 65

The treeline erupted in a cacophony of squeals and scrabbling claws. Mutated Rattata poured onto the field, their fur matted and eyes glowing an unnatural crimson. They surged towards Viridian City's hastily assembled defences.

Lucas's heart hammered against his ribs as he stood his ground behind the makeshift barricades. The police officers and Rangers had worked tirelessly to erect a series of barriers and choke points, creating a deadly gauntlet for the approaching horde. 

Saphira's cool scales brushed against Lucas's arm as she coiled protectively around him. A few feet in front of him, Max stood tall, prepared to defend Lucas from the Rattata. 

A deafening roar split the sky as Professor Oak's massive Charizard, Scarlett, swooped overhead. Each beat of her leathery wings created gusts that whipped at the defenders' clothes. 

With an ear-splitting roar, Scarlett unleashed a torrent of flames. The fire rained down upon the advancing Rattata. The ground blackened and cracked where it touched, creating temporary barriers of smouldering earth and flame. The scent of charred fur and flesh filled the air, mingling with the acrid smoke.

Besides Lucas, Sabrina activated two of her Mega Stones. Her Alakazam's form shifted and grew, additional spoons materialising around it in a ring of psychic energy. Salem, her Banette, underwent an even more dramatic transformation. The Ghost-type's body elongated, zippers appearing along its arms and a wicked grin splitting its face nearly in two.

The defenders braced themselves as the Rattata wave crashed against their fortifications. A cacophony of attacks erupted from behind the barriers. Flamethrowers painted arcs of fire across the sky, their heat causing the air to ripple and distort. Hydro Pumps blasted holes in the Rattata ranks, the high-pressure water cutting through the horde like a knife. Thunderbolts arced from Electric-types, chain-lighting through clusters of the mutated rodents.

Despite the devastating assault, the Rattata pressed on. Where dozens fell, scores more scrambled over their twitching bodies, red eyes fixed on the defenders with single-minded purpose. They fought with unnatural ferocity, ignoring injuries that would fell normal Pokemon. The air filled with the acrid stench of infection and decay, mingling with the smoke and ozone of battle.

Suddenly, a deafening crack echoed across the battlefield. Lucas whipped his head around to see a section of the barricade giving way under the relentless Rattata assault. Hundreds of the mutated creatures poured through the breach, overwhelming a group of trainers and their Pokemon.

"No!" Lucas shouted, but his voice was lost in the chaos.

The scene unfolded in horrifying detail. The trainers and their Pokemon fought valiantly, but they were quickly swallowed by the sea of writhing, rabid Rattata. Screams of terror and pain pierced the air, only to be cut short as the horde engulfed them. Within moments, there was no sign of the defenders—only a seething mass of mutated rodents pushing further into their lines.

Amidst the chaos, a particularly large Rattata broke through a gap in the line. Its muscles bulged grotesquely beneath patchy fur, foam flecking its elongated muzzle as it lunged straight for Lucas. Max was distracted by another Rattata and was unable to stop it in time. Time seemed to slow as Lucas raised his hand, summoning a small, nearly invisible barrier. The Rattata slammed into it with a sickening crunch, momentarily stunned by the impact.

Max sprang into action. His claws dug into the Rattata's flanks, pinning the thrashing creature to the ground. Sparks danced between Max's horns as he prepared to shock it.

"Wait!" Lucas shouted. Since he had the opportunity, he wanted to have a look at its parameters and see if he could find out what was wrong with it. He activated his Insight skill.

A chill ran down his spine as he read its traits. There were several listed that showed negative consequences as a result of the research, but one in particular worried him. 

Contagious - It can spread the negative traits to those that it bites. 

"Everyone, be careful!" Lucas bellowed, forcing his voice to carry over the chaos. "These Rattata are contagious Don't let them bite you or your Pokemon! Keep your distance!"

The warning rippled through the ranks like a shockwave. Trainers pulled back, recalling close-combat Pokemon in favour of those with ranged attacks. The entire strategy of the defense shifted in moments, adapting to this new, insidious threat.

“Knock the Rattata out,” Lucas said to Max. “But don’t kill it.”

Max followed his command and electrocuted the Pokemon until it fainted.

The fact that the Rattata were contagious changed everything. If it had already spread to other Pokemon in the forest, the consequences would be catastrophic. Because Viridian Forest was so large, it would be impossible to find every infected Pokemon. It had the potential to spread unchecked and become something far worse than a horde of Rattata.

Lucas wanted to know why the church would do such a thing. They had transformed these Rattata into weapons. He assumed the Pokemon had changed as a result of their breeding research, but it turned out they had also conducted more sinister experiments. Or had it been another unintended consequence? It was hard to imagine that such a disaster was a mere accident.

The battle raged on, a grim determination settling over the defenders. The loss of their comrades at the breached barricade hung heavy in the air, but it only steeled their resolve. They fought with renewed vigour, each trainer and Pokemon pushing beyond their limits to ensure no more lives would be lost to the mutated horde.

Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn. The Rattata's numbers dwindled, their relentless assault finally beginning to falter. As the main bulk of the horde thinned, the remaining Rattata suddenly turned tail, fleeing back into the forest. 

The immediate threat to Viridian City had passed, but Lucas knew the danger was far from over. Lance appeared to think the same.

"We can't let a single one escape!” Lance shouted. “If they breed, we'll be facing this nightmare all over again!"

The order galvanised the weary defenders into action. Police officers and Rangers, their uniforms torn and dirty from the battle, regrouped swiftly. They split into teams, each led by experienced trackers and their Pokemon.

The forest erupted with renewed activity as the chase began. Flying Pokemon took to the skies, their keen eyes scanning the canopy for any sign of movement. On the ground, Growlithe and Arcanine used their superior sense of smell to track the fleeing Rattata.

Lucas and Sabrina joined the pursuit, their Pokemon alert for any sign of the mutated rodents. The forest echoed with sporadic bursts of combat as pockets of resistance were encountered and swiftly dealt with.

Hours passed as the teams methodically swept through the forest. The Rattata fell quickly to the organised assault. Trainers and Pokemon worked in tandem, flushing the mutated rodents from hiding spots and eliminating them with ruthless efficiency.

Finally, the last of the reported Rattata sightings was resolved. Even so, it was difficult to say for certain that they had caught all of them. Exhausted but vigilant, the teams gathered at the forest's edge. Officer Jenny, her face grimy and etched with fatigue, addressed the assembled forces.

"Good work, everyone. We believe we've eliminated the threat, but we'll be conducting daily sweeps for the next week to be certain."

“You should quarantine the field to make sure that no one approaches the dead bodies,” Lucas told her. "I don’t believe they are contagious unless transmitted through a bite, but it is better to be safe than sorry."

Officer Jenny nodded. “Good thinking. I’ll take care of it.”

Malva, the Elite Four member from Kalos, sauntered over to Lucas. Her lips curved into a smile as she approached, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Well, well," she purred, "that was certainly more excitement than I bargained for when I came here seeking an interview."

"I appreciate your help," Lucas said.

Malva leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Enough to grant me an exclusive interview, perhaps?" 

Lucas took a step back, annoyed that she had invaded his personal space. "You're asking me at a time like this?"

"How about tomorrow then?" Malva pressed, her eyes never leaving his face. 

"I'm not giving any interviews anytime soon," he replied firmly. "Sorry."

Malva's smile didn't falter. If anything, it grew more predatory. "Then it looks like I'll just have to stick around, doesn't it?" She turned, her hips swaying provocatively as she walked away. Over her shoulder, she called out, "I'm going to treat myself to a hot shower. See you around."

“What the hell is she after?” Lucas murmured. 

Lucas watched Malva saunter away, her overtly seductive demeanour leaving him cold. 

Her behaviour didn't strike him as genuine attraction, but rather a tactic—one that raised red flags. Malva wanted something from him, and he doubted it had anything to do with a simple interview. Malva's presence here, so soon after his return from Kalos, seemed far too convenient to be a mere coincidence. The timing was suspect, to say the least.

As the group trudged back towards Viridian City, Professor Oak fell into step beside Lucas, his keen eyes catching sight of the unconscious Rattata cradled in Max's arms.

"I see you managed to subdue one of those Rattata," Oak remarked. "Good thinking. We'll need a specimen to study if we're to understand how they came to be this way."

Lucas shook his head. "I don't think we need to understand how they got this way. There's nothing to learn from these abominations. But if they've spread the contagion to other Pokemon, we may need a cure." He paused, his voice dropping. "What if it can spread to humans?"

Professor Oak blanched, the colour draining from his face. "That's... that's a horrifying thought. They would turn into..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Living zombies?" Lucas supplied, his tone flat. "It's a terrifying thought."

Fortunately, no one else had been bitten, aside from those who died. They had gone to great lengths to check that everyone who had participated in the battle didn’t have any wounds.   

He had some degree of confidence that his trait-shedding potion would be able to remove the negative traits from the Rattata, but he doubted it worked on people. That would be a nightmare scenario, if the contamination were to spread through the city. 

Even if worked on the Pokemon, it required his input for it to work. If the contagion infected too many Pokemon, it would spread exponentially, making it impossible for him to keep up.

"I should give my uncle a call," Sabrina interjected. "He'll want an update, and he needs to know about this potential new threat."

Lucas nodded. "The shit is going to hit the fan, even if the contagion has been contained."

"What do you mean?" Oak asked. "Are you talking about the church?"

"Yes," Lucas confirmed. "The church is going to be a lot more troublesome to deal with than I imagined."

Professor Oak raised an eyebrow but decided to change the subject, returning to the immediate issue of the Rattata. "Where are you going to keep it?"

"At my house for the moment," Lucas replied. "But I need something to keep it secure."

"Ask Officer Jenny," Oak suggested. "The police have reinforced cages they use for unruly Pokemon."

"I'll go ask her," Sabrina volunteered, gesturing for Max to follow. "I need to speak to her about something else anyway."

As Sabrina led Max away, Oak turned back to Lucas, his expression curious. "Lucas, how did you come to the conclusion that the Rattata are contagious in the first place?"

Lucas had already come up with a plausible story to explain the situation. "While we were fighting, I noticed a different Pokemon mixed in with the horde—It was a Nidoran. It had a nasty bite mark and was exhibiting the same aggressive behaviour as the Rattata. I put two and two together and assumed the worst. Better safe than sorry, right?"

Oak nodded slowly, seeming to accept the explanation. "Quick thinking, indeed. Your warning may have prevented a far worse disaster. We'll need to conduct thorough tests to confirm your theory, of course, but it was wise to err on the side of caution."

Lucas breathed an internal sigh of relief, glad his story had held up under scrutiny.

Their conversation was interrupted as Lance approached. "The research can wait until we've had a chance to regroup and assess the situation properly. What we need right now is a warm meal and a cold beer. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm famished."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. The prospect of food and rest seemed to inject new life into their weary bodies.

Lucas perked up at the mention of food. "My place isn't far," he offered. "We could gather there, and order some takeaway."

It would give him a chance to explain the whole situation to them.

Lance nodded approvingly. "Good thinking. Let's head there now before—"

His words were cut short as they approached the city gates. A swarm of reporters surged forward, microphones thrust outwards like weapons, a barrage of questions assaulting them from all sides.

"Champion Lance! What can you tell us about the Rattata attack?" 

"Is it true the horde has been eliminated?" 

"Are the citizens of Viridian City safe?" 

"Lucas, what is your involvement in this incident?"

Lance held up his hands, calling for silence. The clamour died down as the reporters waited with bated breath for his statement.

"Please listen to me," Lance began, his voice carrying the weight of authority, "I want to assure you that the situation is under control. The threat has been neutralised, and there is no immediate danger to the city or its inhabitants."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "A full investigation will be conducted to determine the origin of this incident and prevent any recurrence. For now, I ask for your patience and cooperation as we work to ensure the safety and security of Viridian City and its surroundings."

"But what about—" a reporter started to ask, but Lance cut them off.

"We will hold a full press conference tomorrow morning to address all your questions. For now, please return to your homes and stay away from the corpses in the field. They may be contagious. Rest assured that the Elite Four, in cooperation with local law enforcement and the Pokemon Rangers, have the situation well in hand. Thank you."

With that, Lance pushed through the crowd, the others following in his wake. The reporters continued to shout questions, but the group pressed on, making their way through the city streets towards Lucas' home.

As they entered the house, Daisy came downstairs and started bombarding her grandfather with questions. 

"Make yourselves comfortable," Lucas said, gesturing to the sofas and armchairs scattered about the room. "We will sort out some drinks."

Lucas and Sabrina entered the kitchen while the others settled in. Lucas took out his phone and dialled a local restaurant. He ordered a generous spread, promising a hefty tip for it to be delivered to his doorstep. 

“I got the drinks,” Sabrina said. 

Lucas nodded. “Thanks. Give me a moment to check on Icarus.”

Outside, he released Icarus, who was still unconscious from being ko’d by Azelf. He pulled out a revive and some potions. The Pidgeot stirred, blinking groggily as the healing items took effect. Lucas ran his fingers through Icarus's feathers, relief washing over him as he confirmed there were no debilitating injuries.

Before heading back in, Lucas reached into his inventory, retrieving the evidence he'd gathered from the abandoned lab. The weight of the documents and the camera felt heavy in his hands. Time was of the essence now. The church wouldn't sit idle; they'd be scrambling to cover their tracks, to conjure up some plausible explanation for the lab's existence.

Lucas' jaw clenched as he thought of Azelf's destructive power, how it had obliterated the lab and the town. It attempted to remove evidence of the research's existence. But they still had this: the footage he had shot, irrefutable proof that it did exist. It wasn't much, but it better than nothing.

He returned to the house and asked Daisy to feed his Pokemon, who must be hungry after such a long day. She stopped questioning her grandfather, who seemed relieved at the interruption, and went to prepare the meals. 

Lucas settled down next to Sabrina, the warmth of her presence a small comfort as he prepared himself to tell them the entire story. 

"It all started when I stumbled upon an abandoned town in Viridian Forest," Lucas said. "The place was eerily empty, as if everyone had just up and left in a hurry."

He described the documents he'd discovered, and the church’s culpability. As he spoke, Lucas retrieved the documents, spreading them out on the coffee table for all to see.

"These papers detail experiments conducted on Rattata," he explained, his finger tracing the lines of text. "The scientists were trying to enhance their breeding capabilities, but something went terribly wrong. This is only one small piece of the puzzle, however, and I suspect their were other experiments being conducted."

Professor Oak leaned forward, his brow furrowed as he examined the papers.

"But why would the church conduct such experiments?" Cassidy asked. 

Lucas shrugged. “I don’t know. You would have to question the church to find out.”

“Bastards,” Cassidy grumbled. “Doing research in my own backyard. I should offf kicked them out of the city when I had the chance.” 

Bruno, his massive bulk dwarfing the chair he sat in, leaned forward and cracked his knuckles. "There's still time. Why don't we head over to the local church and bust up the place?"

"Down, boy," Cassidy said, patting his arm. The gesture looked almost comical given the size difference between them. "I'll deal with them soon enough. The church will be working hard to deny any involvement, so we can't move hastily."

"Is it possible the church did this on purpose?" Agatha asked, ignoring the exchange. 

She sat in her chair, sipping her tea with a certain poise. Her lady-like manner reminded Lucas of what Sabrina might be like when she reached that age. He was aware, however, that her refined demeanour concealed a formidable will. He'd witnessed her prowess firsthand on the battlefield.

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Lucas replied. “But it’s possible that the scientists weren’t entirely united and were conducting their own experiments in secret.” 

"Dr Fuji!” Professor Oak exclaimed, noticing the name on the document. 

“Isn’t that the name of the scientist who initially led the Inception project?” Lance asked. 

Lucas nodded. “I’m willing to bet the church is hiding him. He may even be working on another project for them. It’s been months since the research was abandoned.”

Professor Oak took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I can’t believe my old friend was involved in this research. What could he have been thinking?”

The doorbell's chime sounded. Lucas rose, grateful for the brief respite, and made his way to the front door. He paid the delivery person, tipping generously, before hefting several bags laden with aromatic food back to the living room.

"It's about time," Bruno boomed, his massive hands reaching out eagerly. He nearly yanked the bag from Lucas's grasp, his impatience palpable.

Lucas set the remaining bags on the coffee table, stepping back as the others descended upon the food. For several minutes, the only sounds in the room were the rustle of paper bags, the clink of cutlery, and the occasional appreciative murmur. 

"There's more," Lucas continued after they had finished eating. He reached for his camera. "I managed to capture footage of the lab before it was destroyed."

He played the video, the grainy images flickering to life on the screen. The group watched in horrified silence as the camera panned across the ground, capturing the squadron of church knights as they battled the horde next to the laboratory.

As the video ended, Lucas steeled himself for the final revelation. "But the church's involvement isn't even the most shocking part. I discovered who's really pulling the strings behind the Church of Arceus."

He paused, meeting each person's gaze in turn. "It's Azelf. The legendary Pokemon is controlling the church from behind the scenes."

The room erupted into chaos. Exclamations of disbelief and shock mingled with rapid-fire questions. Lance held up a hand, calling for silence.

"Lucas," he said, his voice deadly serious, "that's an extraordinary claim. Are you absolutely certain?"

Lucas nodded grimly. "I encountered Azelf in the forest. It tried to control me, to silence me. If Mew and Mewtwo hadn't intervened..." He trailed off, the memory of that terrifying moment still fresh in his mind.

"Mew and Mewtwo?" Professor Oak repeated, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"Yes," Lucas confirmed. "Mew and Mewtwo fought off Azelf, injuring it enough to force it to flee. But before it left, Azelf revealed that it was controlling the Pope using its power."

Professor Oak leaned forward, his eyes wide with disbelief. "It spoke to you?"

"Directly into my mind,” Lucas confirmed. “Azelf didn't seem to care that I knew the truth. It clearly thought I was about to be a dead man."

A heavy silence blanketed the room as the full weight of Lucas's words sank in. The Church of Arceus, a pillar of their society, was under the control of a legendary Pokemon with its own agenda.

"If what you're saying is true, we're dealing with a crisis far beyond a simple Rattata infestation,” Lance said. “This could shake the very foundations of our world."

Lorelei, her usual calm demeanour visibly shaken, voiced the question on everyone's mind. "How do we even deal with this situation? Even if we know a legendary is controlling the church, there's nothing we can do about it. We can't exactly challenge Azelf."

The threat they faced was unlike anything they had seen before. Lucas, Sabrina, and the Elite Four were all members of the response team tasked with dealing with incidents involving legendary Pokemon, but they couldn’t confront one directly.

"Lucas, let me get this straight,” Oak said. “You're saying Azelf can actually control humans? Directly?"

Lucas nodded. "That's what it told me. It's been manipulating the Pope, and who knows how many others in the church hierarchy."

Lance shook his head, his expression grave. "Fighting such an insidious enemy would be challenging enough even if it weren't a legendary Pokemon. The fact that it is makes our task seem almost impossible."

Sabrina, who had been quiet for some time, finally spoke up. "There's an obvious question we need to ask. Lucas, do you think Mew and Mewtwo would help again if we needed them?"

Lucas considered this for a moment. "Mew might," he said slowly. "It seems to have taken an interest in me. But Mewtwo... I doubt it. It only intervened this time to repay a favour. I wouldn't count on its help again."

He paused, then added, "For now, though, Azelf is injured. It's not likely to make any bold moves while it's wary of Mew and Mewtwo. That gives us some time, at least."

The group fell silent, each person lost in their own thoughts as they grappled with the enormity of the situation.

Finally, Lance stood up, stretching his tired muscles. "We should get some sleep," he said. "Tomorrow's going to be another long day. We need to be sharp if we're going to tackle this mess."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The next morning, Lucas and Sabrina were jolted awake by a loud knock at the door. Groggily, they made their way downstairs to find Shichiro standing on their doorstep, accompanied by a team of scientists. On the street, there were several carriages parked. Along with them, their were soldiers and Pokemon, patrolling the street.

"Good morning," Shichiro said. "I hope you don't mind the early wake-up call, but we have a situation to address."

Lucas nodded, stepping aside to let them in. "Of course. Come in."

Shichiro began outlining his plan as soon as they entered. "I have dispatched two Army squadrons to the city. One is searching the forest for any remaining mutated Rattata. The other is implementing a temporary lockdown of the city to ensure there's no outbreak."

Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "Lock down the city? Is that necessary?"

"It's a precaution," Shichiro explained. "We can't risk this spreading."

Lucas led them to where he'd kept the captured Rattata. As the scientists prepared their equipment, Lucas made a quick decision.

"Just a moment," he said. "I need to check something with the Rattata."

He ushered the group out of the room, claiming he needed to ensure the Pokemon was securely contained. Once alone, Lucas quickly retrieved a vial from his pocket—the trait shedding potion. He summoned Max and had him paralyse the Rattata before administering the potion to it. He chose to remove the contagious trait.

For a brief moment, it seemed to work. The trait vanished from the list. However, almost immediately, the trait reappeared.

Lucas frowned, his heart sinking. He had hoped the potion might offer a quick solution, but it was clear now that the mutation was far more complex than he'd anticipated. Even Mewtwo’s problematic traits had been solved with it. With a sigh, he opened the door and allowed the scientists back in.

"It's all yours," he said.

As the scientists began their examination of the Rattata, Lucas gathered the evidence he'd collected. He handed Shichiro the documents and the camera.

"This is everything I found at the lab," Lucas explained. "The camera has footage of the Church knights fighting the Rattata."

Shichiro's eyes widened as he watched the video. Without a word, he pulled out his phone and made a quick call, ordering soldiers to detain the priests at the local church for questioning. It was unlikely they knew anything, but he needed to do something. 

Meanwhile, Sabrina was in the living room, watching the local news. "You need to see this,” she called out.

They gathered around the television as Sabrina turned up the volume. On screen, Bishop Castor stood at a podium, his face a mask of sorrow and concern.

"My dear friends," Castor began, his voice quavering with emotion, "it is with a heavy heart that I address you today. Yesterday, our peaceful community was shaken by a terrible incident in Viridian Forest."

Lucas and Sabrina exchanged worried glances as Castor continued.

"I want to assure you that the Church of Arceus had no involvement in the creation of these mutated Pokemon. In fact, we were the victims of a terrible deception."

Shichiro's eyes narrowed. "He's trying to get ahead of the story."

On screen, Castor's voice grew stronger. "We have discovered that a group of rogue scientists, operating without our knowledge or consent, had set up a secret laboratory in Viridian Forest. They conducted unauthorised experiments on Pokemon, resulting in the tragic events we witnessed yesterday."

"That's not true," Lucas muttered. "The documents clearly show the Church's involvement."

As Castor continued his speech, his voice took on a more sombre tone. "I must now share with you a tragic development that weighs heavily on my heart. When we first learnt of the situation in Viridian Forest, we immediately dispatched a group of our bravest Church Knights to investigate and contain the threat."

Castor paused, bowing his head in apparent grief. "It is with profound sorrow that I must inform you that these valiant souls have perished in the line of duty. They fought bravely against the mutated horde, sacrificing their lives in an attempt to protect our community from this terrible menace."

Lucas and Sabrina exchanged shocked glances. This was a clever move by Castor, acknowledging the presence of the Church Knights while still maintaining their supposed innocence.

"These brave men and women," Castor continued, his voice thick with emotion, "gave their lives to safeguard our city. They died as heroes, facing a threat they could not have possibly anticipated. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten."

He raised his eyes to the camera, a look of determination replacing his grief. "We will honor their memory by bringing those truly responsible for this tragedy to justice. The Church of Arceus will not rest until the perpetrators of these heinous experiments are found and held accountable for their actions and for the lives they have cost us."

Shichiro shook his head in disbelief. "He's twisting everything to fit their narrative. Using the deaths of those knights to garner sympathy and deflect suspicion. It's a masterful play, I'll give him that."

Lucas clenched his fists, anger rising in his chest. "But it's all lies. Those Knights weren't there to just to help— they were trying to cover up the Church's involvement. And now their deaths are being used as propaganda."

Sabrina placed a calming hand on Lucas's arm. "We know the truth, and we have evidence. We'll find a way to expose their deception."

Lucas hesitated for a moment before speaking. "There's something else you should know, Shichiro. Something even bigger than the Church's involvement."

Shichiro turned to him, eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

Lucas took a deep breath. "It's about who's really controlling the Church. It's not the Pope, or any human. It's Azelf."

Shichiro's eyes widened in disbelief. "Azelf? The legendary Pokemon? Are you certain?"

Lucas nodded, recounting his encounter with Azelf in the forest and the legendary Pokemon's own admission of control over the Church.

Shichiro sat down heavily, the weight of this new information clearly hitting him. "This... this changes everything. If a legendary Pokemon is manipulating human affairs on this scale…"

Lucas smiled wryly. “I’ll bet you are wishing you weren’t the Prime Minister right now.” 

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, a period of calm settles over the city, but it’s not going to last long. The Prime Minister makes moves to exorcise the church from Kanto.

Thanks for reading.